Design & Technology Curriculum
(including Food Technology)

Intent

At Barley Lane Primary, we aim to provide all children with a broad and balanced curriculum which prepares them for life beyond primary education. We encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.  Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. It can be found in many of the object’s children use each day and is a part of children’s immediate experiences. Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. At Barley Lane Primary the Design and Technology curriculum combines skills, knowledge, concepts and values to enable children to tackle real problems. It can improve analysis, problem solving, practical capability and evaluation skills.  We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. The children are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers. High-quality design and technology education make an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

At Barley Lane Primary the curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world 
• build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
• critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
• Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook. 

Implementation  

Teachers are provided with an inset sessions to plan their curriculum. As part of this planning process, teachers need to plan the following: 

• The curriculum sequences outlines knowledge (including vocabulary) all children must master and link to other subjects;
• A cycle of lessons for each subject, which carefully plans for progression and depth;    
• Trips and visiting experts who will enhance the learning experience;  
• A means to display and celebrate the pupils’ DT work in their class.

Impact

Progression in DT / Food technology will be assessed throughout each key stage through the children’s ability to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study. We assess the children through:

• Observing children at work during DT / Food technology sessions.
• Questioning the children in relation to their programme of study in order to assess their understanding and comprehension.
• Assessment/marking the work produced by the children and discussion of their next steps.
• Pupil discussions about their learning; which includes discussion of their thoughts, ideas, processing and evaluations of work.